Prayer Foundation

Nehemiah 2:1-8

Last week, our church began a journey through the Old Testament book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah is famously known for rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem. This was an important task because a city without walls was vulnerable to attack and exploitation.

The first chapter of Nehemiah tells the story of how his calling to rebuild the walls developed over three movements. These are not “steps” for discovering your own calling, but rather a description of how Nehemiah’s calling developed that may help you determine your calling. It is important to understand that everyone’s calling doesn’t develop the same way.

Nehemiah’s realized his calling by learning about a need that moved him, grieving the reality of the need, and then praying that the need is met, through him. The chapter ends with Nehemiah praying, “grant me favor in the presence of that man.” That man was King Artaxerxes. Nehemiah served as his cupbearer. We learn in Ezra chapter four that King Artaxerxes had stopped – by force – the rebuilding efforts that had begun thirteen years prior.

Now, Nehemiah finds himself in a position of having to ask the same king who halted the rebuilding for permission to start the rebuilding again. So he prays!

What we have recorded in chapter one is just one prayer. However, as Nehemiah tells us his story he wants us to be aware of the timing.

Chapter one begins, “In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year.” Chapter two begins, “In the month of Nisan is the twentieth year (of King Artaxerxes reign).” The time between when he hears the news of the walls and starts praying to the time he has his conversation with the king is four months. For four months Nehemiah has been praying for the people of Jerusalem.

This was something that stuck with him. He is concerned. His heart if moved, grieved, hurting for what is happening in Jerusalem. To some people, four months seems like a long time to pray for one thing. To others, it may sound like a short time. The point is not the timeframe. The point is, this wasn’t a one-time prayer.

One day, the king notices that something is wrong with Nehemiah (apparently he had hidden his sadness from the king up to that point, and was no longer able to do so). The king asks him, “Hey man, what’s going on?”.

Put yourself in Nehemiah’s shoes. He’s been praying for months for the people in Jerusalem. He knows the king is going to have to be involved in the rebuilding somehow.
When the king asks why he is sad, the door of opportunity swings wide open.

Can you imagine Nehemiah’s heart beating? When I do weddings, for the few minutes before the service starts I awkwardly hang out with the groomsmen. The groom is usually very nervous thinking to himself, “This is it. This is the moment.” I imagine thats how it was for Nehemiah. The door swings open and he’s like, “Oh man, this is it.” Notice the second part of verse two, “I was very much afraid.”

The ensuing conversation goes something like this:

“How else am I supposed to look when the city of my ancestors lies in ruins and it’s gates destroyed.”

“What do you want?”

“Send me to the city of my ancestors so I can rebuild it.”

The king says yes.

“By the way, I would appreciate if you would ensure me safe travel.

So the king calls Uber.

Nehemiah keeps going, “Can you provide the material for the wall? (Nehemiah had sourced the raw material for the job.)”

The king says, “Ok.”

Before the end of eight verses, Nehemiah is on his way to fulfill his calling and is being resourced by the king. Let’s think about this a moment. The king who halted the rebuilding, by force, a few years earlier is now allowing the rebuilding to start again, ensuring safe travel, and supply the materials. This is incredible. God can use anything and anybody to help you fulfill your calling.

Let’s think about this conversation further. Nehemiah was afraid as he asked the king for the things he needed, but he was also prepared. He had made plans. He had developed a strategy for rebuilding. He had even sourced the material he would need.

He was praying and pushing at the same time! And King Artaxerxes was generous in granting these requests. Despite his own planning and the king’s generosity, Nehemiah credits God’s favor (verse 8b).

Nehemiah wants us to know, GOD DID IT. He prayed for God’s favor (1:11) and then reports God’s graciousness as the reason the king granted his requests (2:8b).
Here is what I want you to see; chapter two is the answer to the prayer in chapter one.
Prayer is the foundation for the fulfillment of his calling.

Picture this. Your calling is a tall building. The fulfillment of the calling is on the top floor.
To get there you are doing to need plans, strategy, work, and help!

But, if you don’t have prayer, you are trying to build a skyscraper on a teeter-totter.
Prayer is the foundation. Prayer keeps our heart in tune with God’s heart. Prayer makes sure we are doing it for his glory, not ours. Prayer helps us to dream God-sized dreams.
Prayer gives us wisdom to know, this is the time to hold back and this is the time to go big.

In other words, Prayer is not a substitute for action, it is an action for which there is no substitute.

Prayer is not, “not doing anything.” Prayer is doing the essential thing.
Before you ever lay a brick, you have to have something to put the brick on.

 

For more resources on the prayer foundation, click on the links below from Emmaus Road Church, a church in Fort Collins.

Listen to the Prayer Foundation sermon

Prayer Foundation Bulletin Outline

Prayer Foundation Discussion Guide

Prayer: O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Source: Book of Common Prayer, Proper 10)